RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

It’s annoying when friends overstay their welcome, but nothing is more infuriating than bedbugs in the dorm room. They have made a strong resurgence, with infestations reported nationwide in hotels, movie theaters, restaurants, homes, and even college dorms.

Hunting and Killing Bedbugs

Most bedbug infestations are detected in or around a person’s sleeping area. Inspect your sheets, mattress, and box spring, examining folds and seams for black fecal matter, transparent eggs, and exoskeletons shed by live bugs. Also check the folds of linens and curtains, loose sections of wallpaper, cracks in walls, and other remote corners—bedbugs can hide in the unlikeliest of places.

Another sign of bedbugs is the appearance of itchy red welts or rashes. You may even notice small splotches of blood on your bed sheets. To avoid infection, refrain from scratching affected skin, and contact your RA or landlord right away for help in securing the services of a local extermination company. Before treating your dorm or apartment, most exterminators require that you complete the following:

Do not remove potentially infested items—such as clothing and furniture—from the area until it has been properly treated.

Seal clothing, shoes, and linens in plastic bags until they can be thoroughly washed in hot water.

Remove all clutter (even in “junk” drawers). The fewer places bedbugs have to hide the better.

Disassemble the bed. Clean each non-porous piece thoroughly with a mixture of hot water and rubbing alcohol.

Vacuum and clean the entire space thoroughly, paying special attention to the spaces where carpet and molding meet walls.

Once your dorm or apartment has been inspected, a professional exterminator can determine whether more intensive treatment methods—such as fumigation or heat exposure—are necessary.

Better Safe than Sorry

Prevention is the key to avoiding a bedbug infestation. Though it is unclear how and why bedbugs have recently reared their ugly heads, many experts agree that increased travel and mobility could be major contributors—humans carry a lot of microscopic baggage as they move from place to place.

As you go about daily campus life, be mindful of the things you bring into your living space. Check and pre-wash secondhand furniture and clothing thoroughly before bringing it home. Limit traffic into and out of your dorm room or apartment, and be sure to wash and dry your clothes immediately upon returning home from the movies or a hotel stay. (If this isn’t possible, store clothing and shoes in airtight bags until they can be laundered.) All of this might sound like one big hassle, but you will thank yourself in the long run for keeping your home free of the worry and frustration that come along with bedbugs.